Less than two full months after its official consumer release, Apple is now proclaiming - and with just a bit of obvious pride in the announcement - that the Cupertino-based tech giant has sold a whopping two million iPads to date. At two million units sold in two months, Apple is clearly on pace to hit industry analysts' expectations of approximately five million tablet sales by the end of 2010. According to a report from Reuters, however, RBC Capital Markets predicts that iPad's total shipments could reach as high as 8 million units worldwide by the end of the year. In case you're wondering, that would generate about $4 billion in revenue for Apple.

Apple, however, did not provide a location-based breakdown of sales and where the tablet is hottest from a geographic standpoint. But, presumably, these latest numbers include the numbers brought in since Friday when the iPad arrived for the first time in overseas markets, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Long lines and sold out stores were rampant across many of the nations that are only one weekend into the iPad era.

The iPad's gradual global rollout, however, is far from over, as Apple is planning to ship the device to nearly a dozen more countries this summer, and additional yet-to-be named markets by the end of 2010. Of course, the iPad's thunder will likely be stolen next month - but only by another Apple product. When Apple CEO Steve Jobs (probably) rolls out the 4th-generation iPhone on the June 7th start of the WWDC, the iPad will have to share some of the spotlight with the most hotly anticipated smartphone since... the last updated iPhone release.
Image via The Financial Times

Well, it is a big ipod touch, with 3g capabilities and alot bigger. Other than that can you tell me what makes it so different than an ipod touch?

Apparently you have never gone to a Apple store and tested one out. Everyone who thought it was just a big itouch don't know what they are talking about. After you try one, you WILL want one. It's quite amazing up close, and quite fun to work with.

Apparently you have never gone to a Apple store and tested one out. Everyone who thought it was just a big itouch don't know what they are talking about. After you try one, you WILL want one. It's quite amazing up close, and quite fun to work with.

But 2 million sold already, just too epic.

Exactly.
If ur still saying it's just a big iPod/iPhone you clearly have never seen or touched one before. And just imagine how sweet it is once you own and use it all the time. I. An type way faster than i could on any laptop. Plus it's just freaking sweet

who cares about flash i dont really even miss it that much and the iPad isnt just a large ipod touch my friend has one and brought it to work and I played with it for a few hours I definitely want one now

Im guessing your on the internet 24/7? There is nothing more than internet? kk
/sarcasm

Originally Posted by mudrock1000

I second that motion. Apple get's all offended when Adobe doesn't want to work with each new entirely different platform Apple makes. I might get one if Apple and Flash worked well.
Oh well dreams .

Read above. Flash first of all is buggy on every mobile device it supports. And it drains battery quickly. I agree with Apple, HTML 5 is the next big thing.

Originally Posted by wolverinemarky

who cares about flash i dont really even miss it that much and the iPad isnt just a large ipod touch my friend has one and brought it to work and I played with it for a few hours I definitely want one now

So agreed.

Originally Posted by GmAz

2 million suckers and counting.

Your a sucker for not buying one. If only a few hundred or even a thousand people bought the iPad, then you have a argument to stand on, but 2 million, and probably more than 5 million end of this year. Yea sure, we are ALL suckers.

Originally Posted by clarky8

Went to store and played with one but was not impressed with it. Not worth the money. I would rather just use my iPhone 3GS to do the same things

used an ipad the other day. it responded quickly to opening apps, and scrolled well, but something was missing.

no, not flash. (surprise). but the just when i hold something that big, i expect to be able to connect up an ipod and sync it, minimize programs, and stuff like that.

ya'know?

Are you kidding me? That's like saying I wish I could sync my iPhone to my iPod Nano. Redundant much? Concept: Your Mac or PC hosts all your stuff... in my case several terabytes of music and video. Then you distribute that stuff to your iDevices as needed. The iPad is not meant to be the host! It's also not really meant to hold the same information as your iPod. I have mainly video on my iPad and music on my iPhone and shuffle (of course).

As for minimizing programs... backgrounder now... integrated backgrounding in the fall.

Apparently you have never gone to a Apple store and tested one out. Everyone who thought it was just a big itouch don't know what they are talking about. After you try one, you WILL want one. It's quite amazing up close, and quite fun to work with.

But 2 million sold already, just too epic.

I've played with one and I confirm that it most definitely is just a big iPod Touch. But understand that's not a bad thing, it's just a very succinct description. There are uses for a big iPod touch. It's a good way to consume media like comics, movies, Netflix when you're at home and don't need your device to fit in your pocket.

That said, I don't feel like its worth $500 dollars after playing with one. I liked it enough that I'd probably have bought one for $300 or so, but as it stands I'll just sit back and watch the prices on these types of devices go down and wait for something *good* in the 300-400 dollar price range. Android or iPad, whichever gets there first with a quality product.

Calling it a "big iPod touch" simultaneously describes both the pros and cons of the device. This shouldn't really be an issue for you unless you're unwilling to concede that there are cons . . .

I cant help but laugh here. I am one of those people who are waiting for an announcement on the new iphone, and also think that the i pad is a giant i pod touch. Read back on here and every comment defending the i pad has not explained what it does differenty. Just slagging people off saying they dont know anything and they obviously aint used one.

I for one have not used one, but have seen a lot in action on youtube and stuff and I am yet to see it do anything an iphone or ipod touch cant do.... Please correct me if im wrong.

Im not here toy tell people not to buy if....if you like it then get it, this is just my honest opinion on the i pad and i am more than happy for someone to come and correct me on what i have said.

I've played with one and I confirm that it most definitely is just a big iPod Touch. But understand that's not a bad thing, it's just a very succinct description. There are uses for a big iPod touch. It's a good way to consume media like comics, movies, Netflix when you're at home and don't need your device to fit in your pocket.

That said, I don't feel like its worth $500 dollars after playing with one. I liked it enough that I'd probably have bought one for $300 or so, but as it stands I'll just sit back and watch the prices on these types of devices go down and wait for something *good* in the 300-400 dollar price range. Android or iPad, whichever gets there first with a quality product.

Calling it a "big iPod touch" simultaneously describes both the pros and cons of the device. This shouldn't really be an issue for you unless you're unwilling to concede that there are cons . . .

I don't think your looking at the future of this device. Jailbreak it, and you have a tons of applications you can explore. [And I know there is a Jailbreaking app for the iPad right now, but most of the apps in cydia don't support it at the moment.] Due to the hardware upgrade, jailbreaking and using the battery draining applications once used on the itouch/iphone won't be a problem. Some weeks ago, a guy was actually able to port Android onto a iPhone, don't you think some one will be able to port a OS onto the iPad? Sure it won't work perfectly, but the hardware capabilities will allow it, as it did for Android on the iPhone. And I do agree about the price reduction over time, but think of it this way, everything you will buy will always reduce in price overtime so thinking "I should wait" isn't always a right way to look at things. There will always be newer devices, lower prices of the previous product and etc.